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Investigation of the genetic toxicity by dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) in HepG2 cells using the comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay

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Abstract

Dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (dextran-SPION) have been commercially used for medical applications, such as magnetic imaging or targeted drug delivery, etc. Despite of this usefulness, there are continuous controversies on safety/toxicity of various SPIONs. In the case of dextran-SPION, the reported adverse effects include the cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and DNA damage in many cell types. In this study, the genetic toxicity of dextran-SPION in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells was evaluated with comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Dextran-SPION did not inhibit cell proliferation as a function of dose and time. The comet assay indicated that 5 μg/mL of dextran-SPION induced a significant DNA strand breaks. A dose-dependent increase of the micronucleus (MN) frequency was observed in CBMN assay. The formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HepG2 cells was induced by dextran-SPION. The results demonstrated that dextran-SPION exerted genetic toxicity in HepG2 cells. Also, it suggests that a mechanism by which dextran-SPION triggers the DNA and chromosomal damage in HepG2 cells may be via the generation of intracellular ROS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Sciences and Research Institutes for Basic Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea

    Do Yeon Seo & Youn-Jung Kim

  2. School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, P. R. China

    Minghua Jin

  3. Cellular and Molecular Toxicology Laboratory, Korea Institute of Science & Technology, P.O. Box 131, Cheongryang, cSeoul, 02792, Republic of Korea

    Jae-Chun Ryu

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  1. Do Yeon Seo
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  2. Minghua Jin
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  4. Youn-Jung Kim
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Correspondence to Youn-Jung Kim.

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These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Seo, D.Y., Jin, M., Ryu, JC. et al. Investigation of the genetic toxicity by dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) in HepG2 cells using the comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. Toxicol. Environ. Health Sci. 9, 23–29 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13530-017-0299-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13530-017-0299-z

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